Boxing Day 2018, 2019 and onwards

Quick info: The Day after Christmas, December 26 is known in the UK as Boxing Day. It is a Bank Holiday, which is celebrated annually (See also our Shopping Calendar). In case December 26 is a Saturday or Sunday, Boxing Day is moved to the first weekday after the weekend.

The exact origin of Boxing Day is unclear. It is probably related to several European traditions. One is the feast day of Saint Stephen, dating back to the early Christian era when special metal boxes were installed outside churches to collect money in his name. Another tradition is even older and goes back to the Roman era when slave owners and their subordinates switched roles on Saturnalia. Part of this celebration might have included gift giving and other ways of showing appreciation to lower classed for good service and loyalty in the past year. This is related to the European tradition that dates back to the middle ages when gifts, money or food were given to the poor and needy on the day after Christmas. Nowadays in some countries boxes with special gifts, vouchers or gourmet food are still given around Christmas time by company owners to their employees as a way of saying thanks for their contribution to the company during the past year. In the United Kingdom Boxing Day is an important shopping day marking the start of the winter sale period offering extreme price reductions.